Felicia plant named ‘King Fisher’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Felicia  plant named ‘King Fisher’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; large inflorescences with relatively broad violet blue-colored ray florets; freely flowering habit; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Felicia ameloides.

Cultivar denomination: King Fisher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Feliciaplant, botanically known as Felicia ameloides, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘King Fisher’.

The new Felicia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in George, South Africa. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new Felicia cultivars with large inflorescencesand attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Felicia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin September, 2000 of two unnamed selections of Felicia ameloides, notpatented. The new Felicia was discovered and selected as a singleflowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment in George,South Africa in August, 2000 from the resultant progeny of the statedcross-pollination. The new Felicia was selected on the basis of itsunique ray floret coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Felicia by cuttings was first conductedin George, South Africa in November, 2001. Since then, asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newFelicia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar King Fisher has not been observed under all possibleenviromental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variationsin environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘King Fisher’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘King Fisher’ as a new and distinct Felicia:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Large inflorescences with relatively broad violet        blue-colored ray florets.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Felicia can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in George, SouthAfrica, plants of the new Felicia differed from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Felicia had larger and darker green-colored        leaves than plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Felicia had larger inflorescences with        broader ray florets than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Felicia had darker blue-colored ray florets        than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Felicia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in George, SouthAfrica, plants of the new Felicia differed from plants of the maleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Felicia had longer and darker green-colored        leaves than plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Felicia had larger inflorescences than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Felicia had darker blue-colored ray florets        than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Felicia can be compared to plants of other nonpatentedselections of Felicia ameloides known to the Inventor. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in George, South Africa, plants of the new Feliciadiffered from plants of other known selections of Felicia ameloides inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Felicia grew faster than plants of other        known selections of Felicia ameloides.    -   2. Plants of the new Felicia had larger leaves than plants of        other known selections of Felicia ameloides.    -   3. Plants of the new Felicia had larger inflorescences than        plants of other known selections of Felicia ameloides.    -   4. Plants of the new Felicia had darker blue-colored ray florets        than plants of other known selections of Felicia ameloides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Felicia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newFelicia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘King Fisher’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘King Fisher’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoornursery under full sun conditions during the spring and summer. When theplants were about eight weeks old, the photographs, observations andmeasurements were taken. Plants used for the detailed description weregrown with three plants per 15-cm containers. During the production ofthe plants, day temperatures ranged from 18 to 35° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 10 to 18° C. Color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Felicia ameloides cultivar King Fisher.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Felicia            ameloides, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Felicia            ameloides, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy and freely branching; white,            close to 155A, in color.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous container and garden plant. Upright            and outwardly spreading plant habit; hemispherical in shape.            Freely branching habit; about three basal branches per plant            each with about six laterals. Vigorous growth habit; rapid            growth rate.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 36            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 23            cm.        -   Plant width or area of spread (single plant).—About 21 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About            3.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.75 cm. Aspect: Upright and            outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:145A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 3.5 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex:            Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate, clasping. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse; glabrous. Color:            Developing foliage, upper surface: 144A. Developing foliage,            lower surface: 146D. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation,            upper surface: 146C. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole:            Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Coarse; glabrous. Color, upper surface:            144B. Color, lower surface: 145C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Terminal inflorescences held above the foliage            on long wiry peduncles. Composite inflorescence form,            radially symmetrical; elongate oblong-shaped ray florets;            disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets            develop acropetally on the receptacle. Inflorescences            persistent. Inflorescences face mostly upright to outwardly.        -   Time of flowering.—Long flowering period; plants flower            freely from April through October in Southern California.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about two weeks on the plant.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About five to nine open            inflorescences and inflorescence buds per lateral stem.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About            9 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 97B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.25 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.9 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle            diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 1.1 cm.            Receptacle shape: Conical.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:            Linear to elongated oblong. Apex: Emarginate. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Orientation: Initially            upright and eventually reflexing. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 13 in a single whorl. Color: When            opening, upper surface: 97B. When opening, lower surface:            97B to 97C. Fully opened, upper surface: 97A; color does not            fade with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 97B.        -   Disc florets. —Shape: Elongated tubular. Apex: Five-pointed;            acute. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width,            base: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per            inflorescence: About 130 massed at the center of the            inflorescence. Color: Immature: 6A. Mature, apex: 6A.            Mature, mid-section: 155B. Mature, base: Close to 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 14 in a single            whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape:            Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused to receptacle. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse. Color,            upper surface: 144A. Color, lower surface: 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 21 cm. Length,            second and third peduncles: About 12 cm. Diameter: About            1 mm. Aspect: Upright to outward. Strength: Strong; wiry.            Texture: Coarse; glandular. Color: 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen number: About five per floret. Anther shape:            Elongated oblong. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther color:            19A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 19A. Gynoecium:            Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil number: One per            floret. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape:            Two-parted. Stigma color: 12A. Style length: About 8 mm.            Style color: 12C. Ovary color: 157B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Felicias has not been observed on plants grown under outdoor    conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Felicia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain. Plants    of the new Felicia have been observed to tolerate temperatures from    −2 to 35° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Felicia plant named ‘King Fisher’, asillustrated and described.